In pre-colonial South America, la yerba mate (mate grass) was the main element in the diet of Guaraní Indians in the Plata region. They chewed the leaves of the mate plant all day long and carried them at all times in small pouches called guayacas. In the 17th century, given its rising popularity, the Jesuits established cultivation areas despite the fact that many voiced that mate infusions had diabolical properties. The therapeutic benefits of mate infusions include plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It is commonly accepted that its continued ingestion positively helps regulating mental and physical bodily processes, increases awareness and physical resistance, and does not hinder sleep. Mate is also the name of the vessel where mate grass is brewed. It is a small container crafted out of dried pumpkin, enameled ceramic, rare wood or bone, and designed to fit ergonomically in one hand since it does not have a handle. Some mates are decorated with ornate silver rims or bases. The infusion is sipped through the bombilla, a thin metal straw about 20 cm. (8 in.) long finished in a perforated spoon-like element that acts as a sieve to separate liquid and leaves. Mate´s current locale includes parts of Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina, where the cultural value of mate brewing is ubiquitous: it has a presence in urban domestic environments and it is also linked to the identity of gauchos, the free-spirited horsemen from la pampa who are avid mate consumers.
